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Friday, June 14, 2019

Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie) comes a heartfelt story of family secrets, forgiveness, and unexpected romance.Following a painful betrayal, Maddy Monroe’s love life is a wreck,
and her restaurant career is in shambles. When her grandmother goes
missing, she and her estranged sisters converge at the family beach
house in Sea Haven, North Carolina. Being with uptight Nora and
free-spirited Emma at the place where their family broke apart is a
struggle, and undercurrents of jealousy and resentment threaten to pull
the sisters under. In the midst of the storm, sparks begin to fly
between Maddy and Gram’s maddening neighbor, Connor Murphy.As the sisters pack up the family belongings, memories of idyllic,
slow-paced summers are resurrected. But long-buried secrets also come to
light as Maddy discovers that all was not as it appeared that last
summer in Sea Haven—nor today in the seemingly perfect lives of her
sisters.As family tensions rise and Connor causes tumult in Maddy’s heart,
the sisters must find a way to accept each other for the women they’ve
become before the bitterness of the past destroys their hope for a
future.

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My Review

Summer By the Tides is a beach read about Maddy Monroe. Maddy has just lost her job as a restaurant manager when she caught her boyfriend cheating with her boss. Then Maddy finds out her beloved Gram has gone missing, so she hurries to her Gram's beach house in Sea Haven, North Carolina to look for her. She is soon joined by her older sisters, Emma and Nora, who don't get along. Over the summer they work on the house together, sort through family history, and Maddie finds a surprising new romance.

I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard about it. It looked like a perfect beach read and it absolutely was! Denise Hunter does a great job at capturing coastal North Carolina and beach life. I enjoyed settings like Sullivan's Landing, the little seafood restaurant where Maddie works over summer, and the marina where Connor works. I found details like hurricane preparations at the marina fascinating.

I really liked Maddie. She is in such a conflicted place at the beginning of the book, but she really comes into her own when she is reunited with her sisters and when she meets Connor. Connor is a perfect book boyfriend! He is sweet and sad (a young widower), and their relationship moves slowly with a few little stops and starts.

This is also a lovely book about family and forgiveness and choosing to move forward instead of staying mired in the past. I also liked Maddie's sister Emma (and her cute little beagle Pippy) and her delightful Gram. Nora (her oldest sister) was a complex character, but I appreciated her by the end of the novel.

I recommend Summer By the Tides as a beach read or a good read for a leisurely weekend. Fans of southern fiction and women's fiction will especially enjoy this book.

Author Bio

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom,
which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has
won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Carol
Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When
Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys
traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise
makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly
approaching an empty nest.

Book SynopsisAn Uncommon Beauty…Hidden away in rural Devonshire, Phyllida Satterthwaite has always
been considered more odd than beautiful. But in London, her oddity has
made her a sensation. Far worse, it’s caught the eye of the sinister
Duke of Moreland—a notorious art collector obsessed with acquiring
one-of-a-kind treasures. To escape the Duke’s clutches, she’s going to
need a little help.

An Unlikely Hero…Captain Arthur Heywood’s days of heroism are long past. Grievously
injured in the Peninsular War, he can no longer walk unaided, let alone
shoot a pistol. What use can he possibly be to a damsel in distress? He
has nothing left to offer except his good name.

Can a marriage of convenience save Philly from the vengeful duke? Or
will life with Arthur put her—and her heart—in more danger than ever?

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews (A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty, The Matrimonial Advertisement)
writes both historical non-fiction and traditional historical romances
set in Victorian England. Her articles on nineteenth century history
have been published on various academic and history sites, including the
Victorian Web and the Journal of Victorian Culture, and are also syndicated weekly at BUST Magazine.
In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with
her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, two Shelties,
and two Siamese cats.

About Me

Trish is a long-time online seller who loves all things vintage, but especially vintage children's books and ephemera. In other lives, worked as a bookstore manager and preschool teacher. Always pursuing vintage treasures, great reads, interesting words, and happiness.